Skopeou - English Edition
by Jafs
Summary: Open your wings so I can see your heart.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Mahou Shoujo** **Madoka Magica,** **Mahou Shoujo** **Suzune Magica** **and their characters.**

 **This fanfic is the seventh volume of Year Zero** **series** **, you can find it on my profile.**

 **This is an "engrish" translation. I am doing my best, but feel free to tell me if it is unreadable.**

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A black tunnel, but far from dark. Its walls were filled with slimy, fluorescent puddles, each emitting a color. They crawled and sometimes bumped each other, mixing and creating new colors.

Within this psychedelic world it was possible to find something more sane, in fact someone, but still far from mundane. A girl in a green dress and with big robotic gauntlets.

Matsuri Hinata was sitting, watching the puddles on the other side of the tunnel. The constant mixtures were one of the few pastimes of that place. It was like observing clouds in the sky, in fact, sometimes the pools formed peculiar forms, if not familiar...

This was her barrier, as Madoka had explained to her, a world within another, known as the Law of Cycles. She remembered the girl's divine appearance but seemed to be as young as her. She also remembered about that she had been brought by friends of the goddess, magical girls from whom she had a very short encounter.

But there were more memories, clounded in the myriad of times.

Matsuri closed her eyes and sighed. Those lights were tiresome. The silence was tiresome. It was then that she felt a cold hand touching her face.

Taken by surprise, she saw that one of the puddles had approached her. From its surface, the puddle had formed an arm.

She smiled, for she recognized the puddle, at least by color. "Cyan. What's it?"

The puddle formed a new arm and used them to create a shadow of a butterfly flapping wings on the wall of the tunnel.

"This is beautiful." Matsuri's smile faded. "Are you trying to cheer me up?"

The hands clapped and joined.

"Sorry. I think I'm feeling a bit lonely. Well... there are you, but..." Matsuri bowed her head. "I don't think you want to listen to these laments."

The hands of the puddle formed the shadow of a dog and moved its ears.

"Hah..." Matsuri wanted to laugh at that, but it sounded much more melancholy than she would like. Then she pondered, "She told me that there are other girls and they could visit me, I just needed to wish for it. I think I'd like to talk to someone like me. That is enough? I don't know how it works. I'm scared too..."

The puddle then made the shadow of what looked like a crocodile, which opened and closed its mouth.

"Huh?" Matsuri did not understand at first, but then came the epiphany. "Ah... I know you'd protect me, but I don't think it would be so dangerous. I don't even want you to fight..."

Suddenly, the puddle stopped with the shadows and waved its arms.

"Why are you doing this?" Matsuri heard the clapping of hands and then another puddle catch her eyes. "Magenta?"

The puddle pointed to the tunnel. The puddles moved on the walls more frantically than usual.

"What is going on?"

Amidst that mixture of colored lights came a figure.

She widened her eyes. "That is..."

It was a person, a magical girl... or maybe a more mature version of it. She had a tall, developed body, giving the idea of being an older person. Her hair was tied in a bun and her clothes were prudish, with a button collar that went up to her neck and trousers, yet there was a certain excess of belts on her waist. With so many lights bathing her, it was difficult to discern the colors, but skin seemed to be fair and her features left no doubt that she was not Japanese.

The visitor wandered through the barrier without noticing the presence of its mistress, until that moment. Soon she exchanged glances.

Which made Matsuri feel a chill down her spine and a change in her appearance. Her body and clothing changed colors, mimicking the space around her like a chameleon. None of this was enough to hide from the other girl.

"Hello?" As she approached, the girl was surrounded by puddles. Each one created dozens of arms and began to grope her. "A-Ah!"

"Don't!" exclaimed Matsuri.

The puddles retreated and left the visitor in peace. "Oh... Did I frighten you?"

Matsuri looked at herself, at her black body with some brightly colored parts. She concentrated and returned to being predominantly green. "Maybe a little..."

"Well, I saw your portal pulsing, catching my attention. So..." said the other girl.

"Yes, I wanted to talk to someone," Matsuri murmured.

The girl smiled. "My name is Gisilberhta Freudenberger."

"Oh..." Matsuri spoke shyly, "h-hi Fre... Frau..."

"Call me Berhta."

"Right." Matsuri looked away. "I'm sorry, B-Berhta-san."

Berhta frowned, but still smiled. "Hmmm... I think this is close enough. No need to apologize, I am aware that strangers have trouble remembering my name. That is precisely why I use it to start a conversation."

Matsuri smiled lightly. "Yeah... I guess I'm a little surprised a foreigner speaks Japanese so fluently. It's kind of weird."

Berhta frowned even more, this due to confusion. "Japanese?"

"Huh?" Matsuri frowned as well.

Berhta slid her finger over her cheek, with an inquiring look. "You are new here, are you not?"

"Y-Yes." Matsuri nodded, pressing her lips together.

"I must inform you that we are not speaking with the language you mentioned, but one in common between us."

"Common... between us?" Her jaw dropped.

"Yes, a magical language, so to speak." Berhta laughed. "Huhaha... I started talking and you answered without noticing it. Better this way, because if you were more conscious, perhaps you would have spoken using your language."

She was right. Matsuri listened and noticed that, though she understood, the words sounded very different from her native language. "How is this possible? How can I know?"

"It is like I said, magic." Berhta looked at the colorful landscape of the barrier. "Maybe it is because of who we are now or maybe because of all of us being connected to this place. With Madoka."

Matsuri asked again, "The fact that I can read those strange runes... is due to that too?"

"Yes." Berhta folded her arms. "If you had visited other girls, you would know that. Never thought about leaving your barrier?"

"Barrier..." That term, used so casually, left Matsuri somewhat disturbed. "No."

"You should," Berhta stated, "if you are careful, you will not have any problems."

"If I be careful?"

"Yes, some girls prefer to be alone or just with whom they know. You must respect that," Berhta continued, "besides, there are witches."

"Witches?" Matsuri became more frightened, "You say... not like us, but witches really?"

"They are just like us, but these girls are not strong enough to deal with what happened to them." Berhta shook her head sadly. "Poor things."

"I see," The girl who was sitting whispered, lowering her head.

"It is not so dangerous, because there are always magical girls around ready to save someone in trouble. You can even make friends like that, though I would not recommend doing this." Berhta uncrossed her arms and clasped her hands together. "With all this talk, I just forgot to ask for your name."

"Ah! It was rude of me," said the other, "I am Matsuri Hinata."

"Hinata sounds easier to me. Can I call you that?"

"Sure." Matsuri smiled, but she was still nervous enough that her voice sounded weak. "So... Berhta-san, are you looking for someone or are you visiting any girl?"

"Ah... I am glad you got on this subject." Berhta grinned. "I am an artist."

"Artist?" It was then that Matsuri noticed that on the other girl's belts had a series of brushes of various sizes and shapes.

"My hobby here is to make portraits of the unique landscapes of each barrier along with who is responsible for them," Berhta then asked, "Would I be allowed to do yours?"

With her thick, metallic fingers, Matsuri tidied up her hair fringe as an excuse to hide her blush. "I... I think I have plenty of time."

"Huhaha, of course you have." Berhta stepped back and made a quick gesture with one of her hands. "I will prepare the material immediately."

Matsuri raised her eyebrows as a fan of metal appeared in that hand, and at the same time, the brushes flew out of the belts.

The fan was actually a palette with several ink compartments. The swarm of paintbrushes plunged into the compartments and then danced in front of their owner, where they began to paint the air itself.

Leaving Matsuri in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"I need a canvas and easel," the other one replied, "I do not take them with me."

Matsuri became more appalled. "C-Can you make your paintings real?"

"If I want to..." Berhta appreciated the uninterrupted work of her brushes. "This should take time, because it needs to dry. In the meantime we can continue to talk. What century are you from?"

"C-Century?!"

"You must be from the future with these... mechanical hands..." Berhta then turned to her in wonder. "Do you not use the concept of century anymore? Would it be millennium?"

"N-No! We use it," Matsuri said awkwardly, "I'm from the twenty-first century."

"Then I was right!" Berhta said proudly, "I am from the nineteenth century."

"Eh..." Matsuri was speechless before the foreigner, not only in distance, but in time.

"And what compelled you to become a magical girl?" The other one spoke again, "you do not have to answer. I know some girls can be sensitive about their wishes."

"No, mine was simple," Matsuri replied, "I wished I could see."

Berhta was astonished. "Were you blind?"

"Since birth."

The painter smiled again, nodding. "It may be simple, but it is a perfect wish. There is no way to regret it, you must have been very happy."

"Yeah..." Matsuri looked away in dismay.

Without noticing it, Berhta continued, "And my wish was of the worst kind."

"Which would be?"

"Love." She put her hand to her chest and sighed.

Matsuri became more curious. "What happened?"

"I had everything to have a great future. Beautiful, good manners, well educated..." The artist's gaze was lost. "My family was not rich, but we could live well. My father was a doctor and had some contacts in the empire."

 _Empire?_ Matsuri had no idea from what country that girl was. In fact, she had no idea what nations existed at the time. Had they been mentioned in one of the history classes?

"I have always enjoyed painting landscapes. I traveled south to see the Alps more closely. I always had a special affection for the lakes and the chapels. The imposing fortresses on the rocks and glaciers..." Berhta narrowed her eyes, as if about to sleep. "And on one of those trips, I met a boy. He also loved the Alps, but his interest was to explore and climb. I did not have that much courage."

"And... Did he like you?"

"Ah... Our passions seemed to complement each other. Just thinking about it..." She hugged herself. "So much that when I came home, I talked to my mother about getting married."

Matsuri's eyes widened. "But already?!"

"Of course! Why would it be any different?" After exclaiming, Berhta became sadder. "However, his family demanded an exorbitant dowry. My family would have to sell their properties, I did not want that."

"And what did you do?"

She looked closely at Matsuri and replied, "Well... It was then that Cube appeared."

"Cube?" The other was momentarily confused, but then she understood. "Kyuubey?

"Yes, Cube. When I saw that creature, I thought I was dreaming. It said it was a fairy and I thought to myself: if it asks me to fight witches, it is not a demon."

"What did you wish?" Matsuri asked.

"Something simple like yours. I wished I could pay the dowry." Berhta looked at the work of the brushes that was almost done, missing just a few touches. "When I found myself in front of such wealth, I realized what I did. I had to lie to my family saying that I got it by selling my paintings to a mysterious collector. I had to destroy them all."

Matsuri felt the pain in those last words. "But you got married..."

The other girl was silent, her face even more serious.

"Berhta-san?"

She then spoke, "When I went back to visit his family, I discovered that there was another girl. They would marry."

"What?!"

"He had the courage to climb a mountain, but not to tell me that in front of me." Berhta shook her head, pressing her lips together. "In the first time we meet, the marriage with this other girl was already being arranged. I would be the 'second option' if it did not work out."

Matsuri was outraged. "How could he do this to you?"

"No! He really loves me." Berhta watched her own fragmented, multicolored reflection in her palette. "The expensive dowry was a way to protect me from the truth. How stupid I was..." She reached up to one of the buttons on her collar, unlike the others, which now glowed brightly. "It was too late. Cube said I needed to hunt witches, but I had no will for anything. Only anger. Anger at everything and everyone, and especially anger at me, anger at my luck! If he had found me first, she would have been the 'second option'!"

Seeing the other shudder, Matsuri considered if this was not the time to change the subject.

However, Berhta suddenly relaxed and smiled. "But then Madoka appeared to me. For someone who wanted nothing more with the world, coming here was a blessing. I still miss my family, the old times, but mistakes do not forgive..." She then looked back at the seated girl. "By the way, how did you end up here?"

That was like a punch in Matsuri's gut, maybe in the entire body. Memories burned her mind.

 _Suzune, Arisa, Haruka, Chisato, Tsubaki, sister..._

"I... I could not find witches and my gem was very corrupted, so..." she replied, shaking her lips.

"Oh... You must have been very afraid of what would happen," said Berhta, "well... at least it was not so traumatizing."

Matsuri lowered her head and brought one of her robotic gauntlets to her nape, feeling the pendant that held her hair.

Berhta was a bit curious about that silent act, but then her attention turned to the brushes that were standing and aligned in the air. "Looks like we are done."

Hearing this, Matsuri took a deep breath and stood up, soon saying, "So are they going to start painting?"

"No." The brushes flew to Berhta's belts. "It is me."

Matsuri watched her close the metal fan and pick up the canvas and easel.

Berhta moved further away, being careful to not step on the colored puddles. "I forgot to say that the paintings I make I take with me and keep them in my collection."

Matsuri added hesitantly, "In your... barrier?"

"Where else?" Berhta set up the easel. "Ah yes! There is one more thing. I usually prefer to paint the girls in their other forms."

"Other forms?"

"When I first saw my witch form, I was terrified. It was something... disturbing." Berhta slid her fingers over the rough surface of the canvas. "Time passed, I had already painted the landscapes of my barrier, so I decided to paint myself transformed. This brought me greater understanding and acceptance. There are many girls who do not accept what they have become, they are disgusted with themselves. I seek to help them by showing that they can be works of art. It is a matter of perspective."

Matsuri nodded, "I understand. I think Madoka shares the same opinion and should be very grateful for what you are doing. However, I don't know if my form is scary, because when I transform I lose my sight."

"Really? So that would be the perfect opportunity to see how you are."

"Yes..."

What happened was a long silence, with Berhta smiling serenely.

Matsuri understood what that meant. "I-I guess you want me to start..." She looked down at her big fists, which she opened and closed, and then she hugged herself tightly.

Berhta watched it with attention.

The green magic girl closed her eyes and knelt down and then stood in a fetal position, her forehead resting against the ground. Her body tensed and it seemed as if her hands were crushing her torso more and more.

But Berhta noticed the hands were not crushing but merging with the girl's body.

From the gauntlets, a green metallic aspect quickly spread across her body. It began to melt and fuse, losing its shape and becoming a large drop of liquid metal.

The painter watched the drop gain in size and stretch, acquiring a cylindrical shape. New cylinders emerged from it, five on each side, but soon folded and changed shape. Berhta did not understand at first, but saw then that they were giant fingers as soon as the rest of the hands appeared, one on each side of what now looked more like an insect's body, without legs and with a segmented abdomen.

The malleable aspect of the body gradually hardened, revealing the mechanical joints. At the joints, then, it began to glow green, similar to the girl's old gauntlets.

The colored puddles of the barrier approached their master. The witch rose, using her fingers like paws, and walked toward the tunnel wall. She began to climb it, using the puddles as holes where her fingers could dive.

She had seen many witches before, but Berhta did not stop smiling at the sense of exuberance and grandeur this one was transmitting. The way she moved resembled a spider, but her open hands were like wings and her body looked more like a moth. "Hinata. You can hear me, can you not? Stop, that position is great."

The witch obeyed, stopping the climb, but then the lights and metal of her body reacted. It began to darken and blend with the environment of the tunnel and the puddles.

"Hmmm... Sorry, but I can not see you well. Can you go back to being the way you were before?"

The witch obeyed again, putting an end to her camouflage.

"Now it is perfect." Berhta took one of her brushes. "Try not to move now. I will let you know when I am done."

"AH! IT'S A WITCH!"

The painter turned suddenly to the new voice. It was another magical girl, who looked more like a queen, with an excessive make-up around her eyes. She carried a large notebook with her.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!"

A new cry, but this time it was a familiar voice. It was Matsuri, who had fallen from the wall where she was.

Berhta then said to the newcomer, "You silly. Just because she was in that form does not mean she was out of her mind."

The girl hugged her notebook. "S-Sorry, it's not common to see girls being witches voluntarily..."

Berhta raised an eyebrow. "I think you need to visit more barriers before you had these ideas."

"I'm really sorry!" She bowed.

Matsuri had already stood up and approached the two. "No need to apologize! I... must be pretty scary, right?"

The girl promptly replied, "N-No! I'm kinda a coward... hmmm... to tell you the truth, I've seen a few things more-" However, puddles surrounded her. "Huh?! What do you want?" Hands came out of them and held the girl's legs, climbing under her skirt. "No! KYYAAAHH!"

Matsuri was ashamed, talking to herself, "I think that's their way to greet..."

"They did this to me too, you have nothing to worry about," spoke Berhta.

"Shoo! Shoo!" The girl gestured frantically to push the puddles away as she moved closer to the other two.

It was then that Matsuri realized, something that the distance and all that makeup hid. "Are you Japanese?"

"Yes, my name is Shiori Hanazawa," said the girl, "you're too, right?"

"Yes! Yes! I'm Matsuri Hinata."

"Madoka must be too."

They both looked at Berhta with her statement.

"From what I understand, she would be the goddess of magical girls, but I think she has a connection to your nation. You are all very similar to me."

"It's quite possible," Matsuri agreed, "Madoka is a Japanese name, but I don't know of any religion associated with her."

"Religion or not, I think only magical girls know about it," said the girl with a crown.

"I believe so." Berhta nodded. "So, Shiori, what period are you from? In these garments, I would say you are from the time of the fiefdoms."

Matsuri commented, "We didn't wear these clothes."

"My period? I think I'm from... well... it had computers, the Internet..." Shiori scratched her face nervously.

Berhta frowned.

"So we're from the same time!" Matsuri said excitedly.

"Cool! Maybe even we lived nearby!" Shiori smiled. "I'm from Mitakihara."

"Mitakihara... is that city that has undergone a modernization and has grown a lot, right? I'm from Hoozuki, not too far."

"Ah yes. Not much." Shiori then turned toward the taller girl. "And you? Ehh..."

"I am from the nineteenth century, you can call me Berhta," said her.

"Oh... Having all of us in one place gets pretty confusing. I know that. Hehe..." Shiori looked embarrassed. "B-Berhta-san, but you're an artist too, right?"

She looked at the object the other carried. "Yes, I noticed your sketchbook."

Shiori grinned, as if in relief. "That's why I'm visiting other girls. I come to announce that in the near future I will be making an art exhibition of my works. Madoka will help me with that."

Berhta was surprised. "Really?! Would this exhibition accept works by other authors?"

Shiori raised her eyebrows. "If Madoka can arrange this... I don't see a problem."

"I will contact her as soon as possible." Berhta held out her hand. "Can I see?"

"Hi?" Shiori looked at her notebook and handed it to the other. "Sure! Sure!"

Berhta began to leaf through it.

Her impassive expression made Shiori more and more curious and anxious, just as Matsuri.

Still looking at the notebook, Berhta then questioned, "Would these works be drafts or samples?"

Shiori lowered her head and spoke with a sad tone, "No. These are finalized..."

Berhta noticed the reaction. "Sorry if I offended you, it is..." She shook her head, squinting. "It just seems confusing to me. I see they are persons, but these drawings... By chance would that torso be a fish head?"

"My art is somewhat abstract," Shiori replied quickly, almost stumbling over words.

Matsuri watched her grow more tense.

"Abstract..." Berhta continued to leaf through the notebook, more slowly. "It is not a matter of style, but merit. You use shades of yellow and black, this gives a good contrast but there are no nuances. You do not explore shadow, light, volume... In addition, these lines. I see that there is a detail here and there, but I do not know what message or feeling you want to convey with them. It seems to me meaningless, a child could produce it."

"I think that's right," Shiori said in defeat, "these drawings are portraits of real people, but representing what I feel inside them. I do not know how to explain it better so..."

Berhta interrupted her, "Would it be like chiromancy then?"

"Huh?"

"It is the art of reading people through their palms," she explained, "through them you can discover a lot, even their fate."

Shiori looked away. "Maybe it's..."

"Can I try?" Berhta offered the notebook back.

The other girl was confused and speechless.

"I intend to make a picture of our Hinata in her witch form."

Shiori looked at Matsuri. "Is that why you were transformed?"

"Strange, isn't?" With her robotic gauntlets, she hid her face. "This is not going to be good, I must be terrible."

"You are magnificent, better than me," Berhta affirmed. "In the meantime, Shiori, could you do a picture of me?"

She timidly picked up the notebook, but answered in jubilation, "Y-Yes!"

"Great!" Berhta clapped her hands and then turned her attention to the other girl. "We can start, yes? I believe we have an eternity, but I would like to make it more productive."

Matsuri nodded and sought to return to where she was earlier, at the wall of the tunnel, hearing the distinctive sound of the bell on her pendant as she turned.

 _Eternity._

She had not stopped to think about it. Would she live in that place forever?

 _Suzune-chan, could my promise still stand?_

Shiori searched for a blank page so she could work.

 _No matter what happens, no matter where I am._

Berhta opened her metal fan and took out one of her brushes.

 _I will live and be happy, with new friends._

Already positioned, Matsuri hugged herself with her gloves. Her smile and determined gaze turned metallic.

 _For I will honor our precious friendship._

* * *

 **And the series continues! The next fic will be long, certainly bigger than 'Guardian'. It is also the first rated M due to some scenes, but nothing too extreme! So, if you want to search for the next story, you will need to check for mature content** **in case it is hidden.**

 **The title of the fic will be 'Love' and, as you can imagine, the genre will be romance. The protagonist, of course, could be none other than Nagisa! (Mami included)**

 **Huh?! Homura? Ah yes, she and Madoka are too. I promise they will already appear in the first chapter. In addition, there will be the introduction of a new character of the franchise, as well as a secret one!**

 **I'm super anxious and I hope to start publishing as soon as possible, but I need to be careful too. Please, wait for it!**


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